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The joy of spontaneity........
When I was a young teenager, one of the first signs of impending "adulthood" was the lack of spontaneity in my life. As children, we never have ANYTHING scheduled in our lives. Beyond school and family vacations, every minute of every day was freetime/playtime. How often would you call your friends on a weekend or after school to "go play" and they were always around? Everyone was always available. As a teen, for the first time in my life, that began to change. People had lives. Afterschool jobs. Dating. Sports. Things to do. It sucked. And it has never changed. As you get older, it only gets worse. Careers. Spouses. Offspring. It all results in a life where every minute is scheduled and predetermined. But it just hit me ... Although 90% of my shoots are planned in advance, one of the many joys of photography are those spontaneous shoots. The ones where you get called that same day or a day in advance. No time to plan. Just a plesant surprise. Playtime. It's back. I love photography for a myriad of reasons. And the joy of spontaneity is a reason I often take for granted. Jun 20 05 10:32 pm Link Posted by Eric Muss-Barnes: A great deal of my shoots are out of town, often coming in to the city the night before, meeting the model(s) and heading off to locations they have picked or we stumble upon. I love those shoots, probably the most rewarding and often create the best images. Jun 20 05 10:37 pm Link Posted by Eric Muss-Barnes: I couldn't agree more. I try and not plan too many details out at all..just like to see how the dynamic between me and who I'm shooting works (or doesn't work) then PLAY TIME begins....I travel allot as well and shoot a ton of "strangers" it's always facinating and fun to see what develops...it is ABSOLUTELY why I LOVE making pictures. Jun 20 05 10:51 pm Link although the majority of my shoots are booked well ahead of time and usually orchestrated up the wazoo (ie. concepts, wardrobe, location(s), hair/makeup, lighting etc etc) once i start shooting it's all just all one big spontaneous freeflowing organic improvisational dance between the model and me... no set poses or anything like that... once it's showtime, it's all up to the model to perform and keep the flow going... and if it's an outdoor shoot i'll just keep changing locations as i see them and then continue on with the dance... and it goes on until the next dance... and so to make a long story short, the joy of spontaneity is always a big part of my shoots, and eventho the shoots origins are structurally based, spontaneously chaotic is how they end up... and that's where the fun is... Jun 20 05 11:13 pm Link I brief models on my concepts because I do get an idea now and then, and because they like me to sound like I kinda have an idea what I'm doing ..... (memory from a shoot in San Francisco. I pull out seven sheets of printed paper, and the model says, "Oh! A photographer with ideas!") ..... but really, all my best stuff and the most fun stuff for me has come from taking advantage of the environment and the ideas that occur on the spot. Jun 20 05 11:20 pm Link I absolutely have to agree. Even when I think I know the shot I "want" to do, it's the shot that "happens" that always knocks me on my ass. Even today, I had a shoot with Venus from here at MM and it was the spontaneous shots that had me smiling the most. Plus, I'm lucky enough to be able to shoot at the drop of a hat, outside of my scheduled shoots, and have a few models who will call and say, "Can I come by and we'll shoot?" Photography is definitely cool that way. Jun 20 05 11:21 pm Link For me Photography is like dating. You have a General idea of what you would like to do for the evening. But, if you over plan it only set's you up for disappoinment. On a date when you're sponatenous it seems to flow so much smoother and there is very little pressure. Jun 21 05 03:00 am Link I love spontaneity, but sometimes, I gotta respect those models (when I recognize them), who prefer some structure and planning behind a shoot. It's a little stifling on the creativity at times, but oh well...must adapt to the environment and the client. Jun 21 05 03:22 am Link |
